The present invention broadly relates to signal compression systems and, more specifically, pertains to a new and improved circuit arrangement for the regulation of multichannel pulse compression systems.
Generally speaking, the arrangement of the present invention concerns a circuit arrangement for the regulation of a multichannel pulse compression system comprising a transmitter stage driven by a continuous unmodulated signal which is led in series through a pulse modulator, an expansion filter and a power amplifier to an antenna.
In its more particular aspects, the invention is concerned with certain influences, such as exposure to sunlight or solar radiation or component aging, that have differing or differential effects on the various channels in multichannel pulse compression systems such as those installed in radar and position finding technology.
In other words, the circuit arrangement of the present invention for regulating a multi-channel pulse compression system is of the type comprising a transmitter stage which comprises a pulse modulator, an expansion filter and a power amplifier connected to form a series circuit as well as an antenna. This transmitter stage serves to receive and modulate an unmodulated signal to form a pulse-modulated signal and to conduct the pulse-modulated signal to the antenna. The pulse modulator has an input and the expansion filter has an output. The circuit arrangement further includes a receiver comprising a microwave receiver stage, a demodulator and at least two signal compression channels connected between the microwave receiver stage and the demodulator. Each signal compression channel of the at least two signal compression channels has output terminals for tapping off a respective monitoring signal.
Therefore, the phase and the amplitude of the signal of each channel must be regulated in relation to the transmission response of a signal of a channel chosen as a reference channel. This is in order to achieve the required accuracy that depends in such systems to a large extent on the tracking response of the reception channels, especially in ascertaining an angle, e.g. the tracking angle. The known regulation techniques do not meet the requirements that systems with very short pulse durations demand.